1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door latch apparatus for a vehicle which is configured such that a door is prevented from opening while a side collision is occurring, and the door is allowed to open after the side collision is over.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional door latch apparatus for a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a view showing the operation of the door latch apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view of the door latch apparatus of FIG. 1.
As shown in the drawings, the conventional door latch apparatus includes a release lever 20 which is rotatably provided on a base plate 10. On the release lever there is provided a locking part 24 that extends a predetermined length downwards, and a rotating lever 30 is rotatably installed on the base plate 10 at a position adjacent to the locking part 24. A wire is connected to a lower end 31 of the rotating lever 30 so that when a passenger operates a door handle, the wire is pulled, rotating the rotating lever 30 in the clockwise direction.
Furthermore, a locking protrusion 32 is provided on an upper end of the rotating lever 30. Thus, when the wire is pulled, the rotating lever 30 rotates around a rotating shaft 33 in the clockwise direction, and the locking protrusion 32 pushes the locking part 24 of the release lever 20 in the counterclockwise direction. Thereby, the release lever 20 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, thus also rotating an open lever 40 in the counterclockwise direction. Eventually, the open lever 40 that rotates in the counterclockwise direction unlocks the lock of the door.
The release lever 20 is provided with a restoring spring 22 so that when the pulling force which has been transmitted to the release lever 20 from the door handle through the wire is removed, the release lever 20 can return to its original position.
FIG. 1 illustrates the locked state of the conventional door latch apparatus. FIG. 2 illustrates the unlocked state of the door latch apparatus. FIG. 3 is a side view of the door latch apparatus, from which the base plate has been skipped for the sake of understanding.
In this conventional door latch apparatus having the above-mentioned construction, when the vehicle is involved in a side collision, for example, when impact is applied to the door from the left based on FIGS. 1 and 2, if a passenger manipulates the door handle, the wire is directly pulled, thus unexpectedly opening the door.
In other words, the conventional door latch apparatus allows latching and releasing of the door even when a side collision is occurring. This means that there is a probability that the door will open while the collision is occurring, deteriorating safety.
To take safety into account, in the side collision, the door must not open when the collision is ongoing, but after the collision is over, the door must be able to open to allow a passenger to escape from the vehicle. A door latch apparatus which incorporates such safety in a collision is required.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.